THE MODERN EUGENICS MOVEMENT 29.5 



eugenics movement. This movement was started by Francis 

 Galton, who, adopting Darwin's theory of evolution, souglit 

 to apply it to human society. His studies of family histories 

 had convinced him that both physical and mental traits are 

 largely matters of inheritance. He reasoned that the exist- 

 ing biological status of society could be maintained only if all 

 classes of society reproduced at the same rate; that improve- 

 ment would result if the biologically best individuals repro- 

 duced faster than others, but that deterioration would result 

 if the biologically inferior individuals reproduced faster than 

 others. He sought to devise measures which would encourage 

 early marriage and the rearing of large families by the best 

 and most competent members of every profession and trade. 

 His suggestions met chiefly with ridicule at the time, but 

 are coming now to be taken more seriously. 



No one can deny that our country's population is increas- 

 ing fast enough, the only danger is that the biologically poor- 

 est elements in the population may increase faster than any 

 other. The declining birth rate is not in itself serious, but 

 the differential character of its decline is serious. The most 

 intellectual and cultured elements in the population breed 

 slowest. Professor Cattell says that a Harvard graduate has 

 on the average three-fourths of a son and a Vassar graduate 

 one-half of a daughter. If this continues college graduates 

 may look forward to the early extinction of their line as an 

 element in the American population. 



As elements in the differentially declining birth-rate we 

 may recognize (1) late marriages, shortening the reproductive 

 period and (2) voluntary limitation of the number of children. 

 Voluntary limitation occurs for a variety of reasons such as 

 expense, health, etc., but chiefly because of selfishness and 

 luxury, causes which were operative in the decline of Greece 

 and Rome as they are among modern nations. 



The more complex human life becomes, the less attention 

 is given to its perpetuation. In a small connnunity family 

 life is dominant and the rearing and education of children are 

 its most important occupations. But as comumnity life be- 



